Third-year player and visual junior Aaron Crawford started of this basketball season with high hopes of leading his team to victory. After only a few games, Crawford found himself sitting on the sidelines with a fifth metatarsal foot fracture, also known as a Jones fracture.   

“At practice I was running to catch a pass and I tripped and twisted my ankle, then my foot just popped,” Crawford said. “It kind of scared me [and] I just hoped it wasn’t bad. I stopped playing [and said] ‘okay I’m going to go home.’ I was going to play the next day, but it got too bad.”

Crawford now sports a brace on his right foot while he waits the six to eight weeks recovery time for his fracture to heal. Though a harsh injury, Crawford is expected to be back on the court by next season.

“It sucked to have to [lose] my junior season. I felt like it was unfair,” Crawford said. “I was just running and it happened. It was kind of random. I’m fine with it now because we are doing [well]. I still feel like I’m part of [the team], [so] it’s not that bad. ”

When the healing process finishes, Crawford will be back on the court to make up for the missed time. Working back to his full potential, however, does come with reservations about possibly re-visiting the injury.  

“It’s kind of worrying,” Crawford said. “If I get injured again next season it’s done. [It would be] two wasted seasons in a row.”

The loss of Crawford meant the loss of the team’s starting forward. As he returns to health, Crawford’s teammates work to make up for the empty position that he has left on the court.

“They’ve been supportive, [and] they had to get used to it,” Crawford said. “[Strings junior Amare Davis]  stepped up a lot, and everyone’s doing great. Everyone stepped up.”